Custom Document Folders
Custom document folders for filing and handing over, from 100 units. Tab cuts that stay legible in a drawer, an expanding spine when the file is thick, prongs when the pages must not come out, and a printed cover when the folder leaves the building.
A folder that lives in a drawer is a different object from one that goes to a client
- Stock
- 11–14 pt manila, kraft or colored pressboard; recycled grades available
- Sizes
- Letter 9.5 x 11.75 in; legal 9.5 x 14.75 in
- Tabs
- Straight, third or fifth cut; reinforced option
Get a price for Document Folders
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- Free dielineThe flat drawing comes with the quote, before you commit.
- Proof before pressNothing is printed until you have seen it laid on the dieline.
- Die kept for reordersTooling is paid once. Every reorder skips straight to press.
- Quoted in four marketsUS, UK, Canada and Australia, in the delivery currency.
Filing folders, and the tab
A filing folder is judged in a drawer, where only the tab is visible. Tab position is the whole system: a straight cut on every folder means every label lines up and none can be read past another; a third-cut or fifth-cut rotation staggers them so a row of folders shows every label at once. The tab has to be part of the same board, not a stuck-on label, and it has to be reinforced on any folder that gets pulled daily.
| Straight cut | Full-width tab on every folder; for a small set or a colored system |
|---|---|
| Third cut | Three positions rotating; the standard drawer system |
| Fifth cut | Five positions; for dense filing |
| Reinforced tab | A doubled or taped tab for folders pulled every day |
When the file gets thick
A plain folder holds about half an inch before the pages start pushing the fold open and the tab tilts in the drawer. A capacity folder has a scored, expanding spine — usually one, one and a half or two inches — that folds out as the file grows and keeps the folder square. For anything that will be added to over a year, the capacity version is the one to buy first; retrofitting is not possible. A bound report that has to arrive flat and protected is a different job again, and belongs in one of our rigid portfolio boxes for documents.
Match the folder capacity to the drawer, not to the file. A two-inch capacity folder in a drawer sized for half-inch files just means fewer files per drawer.
Holding the pages in
Prong position matters: top-center for a file read like a book, side for one read like a pad. Ask the people who will use it, because changing it later means re-punching every page.
- Prong fasteners — two metal or plastic prongs through punched holes, so pages cannot fall out; the medical and legal standard.
- An inside pocket on one or both panels, for loose items alongside the fastened pages.
- A closure flap with an elastic or a string-and-button tie, for a folder that is carried.
- Nothing at all, which is right for a folder that lives in a drawer and is opened flat.
Stock, color coding and print
Filing folders run on an 11–14 pt manila or a colored pressboard, and color is a tool rather than a decoration — a color per department, per year, or per status makes a misfile visible from across a room. A printed cover is worth it only where the folder is seen by someone outside the organization, and at that point the pocketed construction on our pocket folders with glued document pockets page is usually the better tool.
Document Folders — specification
The rows that are specific to this build first, then what applies to every job we run. Anything not listed is a question, not a limit — send the brief.
This build
- Stock
- 11–14 pt manila, kraft or colored pressboard; recycled grades available
- Sizes
- Letter 9.5 x 11.75 in; legal 9.5 x 14.75 in
- Tabs
- Straight, third or fifth cut; reinforced option
- Capacity
- Flat, or expanding spine at 1, 1.5 or 2 in
- Fasteners
- Two-prong top or side, inside pockets, elastic or tie closure
- Plain, color-coded, or printed cover and tab
- Minimum
- 100 folders
On every job
- Print process
- Digital below about a thousand, offset above it. Both sides as standard on cards, tags and leaflets.
- Color
- CMYK with spot colors for a brand match. Uncoated and cotton stocks print noticeably lighter than coated ones.
- Tolerance
- Trim plus or minus 1 mm guillotined, plus or minus 0.5 mm die-cut. Anything over about 170gsm is creased before folding.
- Tooling
- A die only where the piece is shaped, perforated or drilled, made once and kept. A plain rectangle needs none.
- Food contact
- Food-safe inks on menus and counter print that will be handled where food is served.
- Sustainability
- Uncoated and unlaminated stocks recycle without separation, and FSC papers are available across the range.
- Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area, fonts outlined. We check every file and send a proof before press.
- Dieline
- Supplied free with the quote, before you commit. Yours whether or not you order.
- Sample
- A plain unprinted sample at the finished size on request, for fit and construction.
- Reorders
- Skip the tooling and go straight to press at a lower unit price.
- Lead time
- Quoted with the price against your fill date rather than promised before we have seen the spec.
- Markets
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia — priced in the delivery currency, freight included.
Boards and films we build document folders on
Sheet print is judged in the hand more than a box is: the weight, the surface and whether a pen works on it. These are the stocks we run for cards, folders, leaflets and stationery.
Coated card 300–400gsm
The workhorse. Sharp full-color print, matte or gloss, laminated where it is handled. Does not take a pen unless the finish is matte.
300–400gsmUncoated card
No clay coat. Colors read softer and warmer, a deboss goes deeper, and it writes on with anything. Photographs lose punch.
300–400gsmCotton and textured card
Soft, thick and fibrous. Takes a deep blind deboss and reads as an invitation. Foil sits beautifully; four-color does not.
400–700gsmDuplexed card
Two sheets bonded, often with a colored core, for a very thick card with a visible colored edge. The heaviest thing we print.
600–900gsmText paper 100–170gsm
Leaflets, folder inners and booklet pages. Folds without cracking and takes a full-color print on both faces.
100–170gsmManila and kraft paper
Unbleached, tan, and cheap. One or two colors read well; white ink gives a light mark. Envelopes, folders and tags.
90–300gsmSynthetic stock
Polypropylene sheet for tags and cards that get wet, torn or handled outdoors. Prints like paper and does not soften.
200–400 micronBoard-backed
A printed face laminated to grayboard, for a rigid card, a folder back or a display that has to stand up on its own.
1–2 mm boardNot sure which? Say what goes in it and where it is sold — the material follows from that. Our notes on recycled, recyclable and compostable cover which claims each stock can honestly carry.
- 01
Send what you have
A dimension, a photograph beside a ruler, or the product itself. No technical drawing needed — that part is ours.
- 02
We quote and draw
A price, a dieline and a date come back together. If a different build would suit the product better, that is in the reply too.
- 03
Approve the dieline
The flat drawing is yours to check: which panel is the front, where the folds fall, how deep the cavity really is.
- 04
Artwork on the dieline
You place your design on the flat we sent, or we place it for you, and you see a proof before anything goes to press.
- 05
A sample if you want one
A plain unprinted sample at the finished size shows fit and construction — the things a drawing cannot.
- 06
Cut, printed, shipped
The die is cut once and kept, so every reorder skips the tooling and goes straight to press at a lower unit price.
Format
Vector PDF or AI where possible. Raster artwork at 300dpi at final size, in CMYK.
Bleed
3 mm past every trim line, so a fraction of drift on the cutter never leaves a white edge.
Safe area
Keep type and anything important 4 mm inside the cut and away from every fold.
Color
Convert to CMYK before sending. Uncoated stock prints lighter; a spot color is the only exact match.
Fonts
Outline them or supply the files. A missing font substitutes silently and the proof will not match.
Barcodes
On a light, matte, unvarnished patch with the quiet zone clear — a code on gloss fails the scanner.
Not set up that way? Send it anyway — fixing a file is a short conversation, and we check every one before press. Our guide to preparing print files covers each point.
Sheet print takes the widest range of finishes of anything we make.
Matte lamination
Soft, fingerprint-resistant, and it still takes a pen. The default on anything handled.
Gloss lamination
Maximum color depth. Shows every fingerprint and refuses a ballpoint.
Hot foil
Gold, rose gold, silver, holographic or a color. The block is small so the die is cheap.
Emboss and deboss
Deepest on uncoated and cotton stocks; shallow and prone to cracking on gloss coated.
Spot UV
A gloss shape on a matte laminate. Best on a dark ground where the contrast reads.
Edge paint and colored core
Color on the cut edge of a thick or duplexed card. Only seen when the card is picked up, which is the point.
Soft-touch
A velvet laminate on a cover or a folder. Marks on white; excellent on dark.
Uncoated and textured
No film at all. Writes on, debosses deeply, and reads as considered rather than cheap.
Not sure which suits the shelf it sells from? Say where the product is sold and we suggest one — our notes on specialty finishes show them on real boxes.
Sizing printed sheets, folds and the grain: document folders
A printed piece is specified flat and finished folded, and the difference between the two is where mistakes live. Send the finished size you want and we work back to the flat.
- Finished size
- The size after folding and trimming. A6, A5, A4, DL, US letter and legal are standard; anything else is cut on its own die.
- Bleed and safe area
- 3 mm of artwork past every trim edge, and nothing important within 4 mm inside it. The guillotine drifts by a fraction on every stack.
- Grain direction
- Paper folds cleanly along the grain and cracks across it. We set the grain to the fold, which is why a sheet is not simply cut from the biggest sheet available.
- Fold allowance
- On a roll fold or a gate fold, the inner panels are cut a millimeter or two shorter so the piece closes flat.
- Creasing
- Anything over about 170gsm is creased before folding. Without it the fold cracks and the coating flakes along the line.
- Trim tolerance
- Plus or minus 1 mm guillotined, plus or minus 0.5 mm die-cut.
Not sure your numbers are right? Send the product dimensions rather than the box dimensions and we work the box out — the full method is in our guide to measuring for a box.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Spec your Document Folders
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a stock and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about document folders? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
What tab cut should I choose?
Third cut for a standard drawer system — three staggered positions so a row of labels is all readable. Straight cut only for a small or color-coded set.
How thick a file will a plain folder hold?
About half an inch before the fold opens and the tab tilts. Above that you need a capacity folder with an expanding spine.
Can I add capacity later?
No — the expanding spine is scored into the folder when it is made. Buy the capacity you will need.
Where do the prongs go?
Top-center for a file read like a book, side for one read like a pad. Ask the users first; changing it means re-punching every page.
Can it have a pocket as well as prongs?
Yes, a pocket on one or both inside panels alongside the fastened pages.
Is color coding worth it?
Yes — a color per department, year or status makes a misfile visible across a room. It is the cheapest system improvement in a filing room.
Can the cover be printed?
Yes, though it is worth it mainly where the folder is seen outside the organization. For that, a presentation folder with pockets is usually the better tool.
Do you make legal size?
Yes, 9.5 x 14.75 in, in the same stocks and tab cuts as letter.
Is there a recycled stock?
Yes, recycled manila and pressboard in the same weights. They perform the same in a drawer.
Can the tab be reinforced?
Yes, doubled or taped, for folders that are pulled every day. It roughly doubles the life of the folder.
What is the minimum order?
100 folders. They are die-cut and scored, and the die is reused on every reorder.
Will you send a sample?
An unprinted folder in your stock and tab cut, so you can put it in your own drawer before ordering.
Same range
